The Birth of Satsujinki
by WildZephyr
Summary: How he came to tame his Nanaya self and become the eternal guard of the Millenium Castle. Rated M for Nanaya-ish violence.
1. I: Morning and Allies

_Disclaimer: I do not own Tsukihime or any of the characters used within this fanfiction._

_Author notes: This fanfiction takes place after the events of Tsukihime and Melty Blood. Any others are non-canon in this fic. R&R as always! ^_^_

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><p>I opened my eyes.<p>

White. Pure white. A white ceiling fan attached to a white ceiling.

Where am I?

I tried to recall, but what I received instead was a major ache:

WHO am I?

I tried to lift myself up, but I seemed to be made of lead, and my body refused to budge.

An alarm sounded beside me. I couldn't turn to see the source. A group of doctors coupled with a man dressed in a black coat stormed the room, and the doctors injected me with something while the man began chanting.

Immediately, I felt an immense stress on my brain and I lost consciousness.

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><p>I opened my eyes.<p>

I got up. Looking at my hands, I noticed several marks on my arm. They matched the leather belts on either side of the hospital bed I was lying on. I used to be... restrained?

I flexed my arms and legs in order to get blood flowing. When it seemed able to function properly, I got off the bed. As I passed the mirror on my way to the door, I caught sight of myself. It was, thankfully, a familiar sight. At least I remember what I should look like. Or do I?

As I walked I felt a weight in my hospital garb. I stuck my hand into the pocket and fished out something metallic. It was a knife. As I unsheathed it, I observed the word 'Nanaya' engraved on it. A jolt of sharp pain coursed through my head, and I groaned in agony. What was the significance of this knife, and why do I have it on me?

Energy rushed through my veins into my eyes and suddenly I saw lines. A lot of lines coupled with dots ending at some branches. They flashed for a second and vanished. What was going on? Fear of the unknown struck me and I breathed heavily. I have to get out of here first, I thought.

Pushing open the door, I stepped into a hallway seemingly carved from an impossibly giant slab of marble. No seams were seen where the blocks are supposed to be joined, just one smooth wall after the other. Where the hell is this? It was bright even though there wasn't any source of light.

Just as I thought that, the end of the hallway plunged into darkness, and the darkness began to spread towards me. Shock took hold of my senses, rooting me at the spot where I stood. As the darkness began to accelerate towards me, I pleaded my legs to move. Beads of perspiration formed on my forehead, and I closed my eyes as the darkness engulfed me whole.

"Shiki..."

What..?

"Shiki, wake up..."

That voice... I know that voice...

"Wake up... I am in danger... I need you to keep your promise..."

What promise?

An image of a crimson castle flashed through my mind. Golden blonde hair... Enthralling ruby eyes... The vision of a woman affixed itself inside me.

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><p>I woke up.<p>

"Good morning, Shiki-sama. Your sister is expecting you," said a girl in a maid uniform, bowing as I sat up in my bed.

"Good morning to you too, Hisui," I said, trying to remember the peculiar dream that I had before I completely forgot it.

"Gah, too late."

"What is it, Shiki-sama?"

"Nothing, Hisui, just trying to recall something that keeps eluding me."

I got up, wore my glasses and proceeded to change. I looked out of the window and sighed. Four years have passed since Arcuied vanished into the setting sun at school. I have whittled my life away ever since graduation, and there was still no news of her.

"No news?"

I turned around, alarmed. Hisui was making my bed. I asked, "Did you say anything?"

She replied, "Hmm, no."

Looking up at me, she caught sight of my topless body and blushed completely red.

"You know, Hisui, it's strange how you do this everyday and still not get used to it," I chuckled.

"How can you say that, you beast?" A girl similar-looking to Hisui barged into the room and accused.

"Oh, good morning, Kohaku," I smiled nonchalantly.

"You'd better treat nee-chan nicely or who knows what sort of medicine will go into your next drink?" she smiled deviously.

"Haha, of course I will."

Kohaku continued, "By the way, Akiha-sama sent me up to get you. You wouldn't want to make her impatient, would you?"

I get the feeling Kohaku wasted my time for this reason. I spoke not another word and dashed out of the room and down the stairs.

There sat Tohno Akiha, my sister and the master of the Tohno mansion, sipping tea with a dignified poise. Her black hair cascaded down the back of the sofa she sat on, and her azure eyes pierced through me. Opposite her (surprisingly) was Ciel, the renowned exorcist from the Burial Agency, dressed in her casual clothing.

I popped down in an armchair facing the both of them, and said cheerfully, "Good morning to you both. What form of good fortune is this to have two beautiful ladies asking for an audience this early in the day?"

A vein popped in Akiha's forehead while Ciel merely smiled. "Hi, Tohno-kun. Your tongue is as glib as ever, I must say."

Akiha continued, "Shiki, you are about to become the master of this mansion. Would it kill you to actually wake up on time?"

"Well, I suppose not. It's just the dreams are getting more and more vivid."

"You mean the one about the hospital?" Ciel chimed in.

"Yeah, the one with the weird black coat guy."

Akiha asked, "Did it stop at the point at which you looked in the mirror again?"

"Yeah-" Wait. Did it? I can't remember. My head throbbed.

Ciel rubbed her chin. "Why don't you just ask Len to observe the dream for you?"

I replied, "I thought of that, but she wasn't able to penetrate a barrier around my dream."

Ciel then said, "Do you think it could be the work of another dream familiar?"

I shrugged. Silence then befell us.

"Oh yeah, so what is the purpose of your visit today, Ciel?"

Ciel's mouth fell open as though she finally realised her true reason of visiting. "Ah, rumors are flying around the Church that an Ancestor has appeared, but for what, I cannot surmise. So I would like you to go on a recon mission with me to the nearby cities for info. We leave immediately, food and lodgings will be provided for by the church."

I scratched my head. "Wow, that sudden? Well, that's okay, but only if you can convince Akiha to-"

"That won't be necessary, nee-san."

I gaped at Akiha at her words. She continued, "I understand the importance of your presence on this mission. Your Eyes should be able to sense them better than Ciel. Just make sure you return home _**safely**." _Stressing the final word, she stood up and left. I shrugged again. It was still as difficult as ever to read Akiha's emotions.

Ciel got up as well, and said, "Alright, then. Shall we?"

I nodded. A black cat meowed and followed me as I walked out of the grand double doors.

* * *

><p>"So, who was the one who gave you the information?" I asked, fingers drumming the steering wheel while waiting for the traffic light to turn green.<p>

Ciel asked, "What do you mean?"

I replied, "Cut the pretense, Ciel. Even if I hadn't many dealings with the Church, even I know that secrets to them are worth more than anything. So how could you possibly have heard 'rumors'?"

She remained silent for awhile, then conceded, "Sharp, aren't you, Tohno-kun. You're right. Sion put me up to this."

I smiled as I remembered the days we spent. The light turned green, and I stepped on the gas pedal. "So how is she? Recovering from the curse of Osiris must be hard."

Ciel said sadly, "Yeah, it's taking a huge toll. But it is partly because of the curse that she has become more receptive to the acts of the Ancestors."

Her face turned serious. "Now, onto business. Have you heard of an Ancestor called Einnashe?"

I thought, then shook my head. Ciel continued, "I guessed not. He is an Ancestor with an incredible ability of hypnosis. He is so powerful that he can materialize a Reality Marble called the Forest of Einnashe once every fifty years, and that time is coming soon. So, the Church wants me to destroy Einnashe before he can materialize the forest this time."

I asked, "Is he that powerful that even you cannot take him on?"

She shook her head, "No, that's not the problem. The thing is, he is so elusive, no one has ever seen him in person."

Len, who snuggled on the backseat of the car, mewed loudly.

"So how much information do you have on his whereabouts now?"

Ciel bit her nail and said, "Regrettably, none."

I sighed, "So, it's a blind chase again? Like that time when Arc-"

I stopped as my heart seared like it was on fire. Memories of time spent together swam into my mind.

Ciel looked at me with concern.

I grinned and said, "What's the matter? I'm perfectly fine, you know."

Ciel frowned and said, "Those who say that usually are not. But I shall not pry, especially about matters so precious to you."

I pondered for a while, then said, "Wouldn't this Forest of Einnashe be something like the Night of Wallachia? I mean, they're both massive scale destructive forces."

Ciel nodded, saying, "Except the Forest has a sentience of its own, and that every team that was dispatched by the Church were annhilated."

I was impressed. This Forest must be powerful indeed. Yet I did not seem to be afraid, not in the least bit. The Night of Wallachia wasn't a pushover either.

Ciel spoke, "You have matured a lot, Tohno-kun. The old Tohno-kun I knew would never have agreed to come so readily. Maybe he would out of goodwill and kindness, but never would he be as fearless as the you now."

I laughed. "After going through what I have, anyone would become stronger."

Ciel smiled. I thought of Arcueid, and I realised how I longed for her smiile.

"Agh!" My head suddenly felt as if it was cracked open, and I lost control of the steering wheel.

"Tohno-kun!" Ciel shouted in alarm and tried to keep the wheel steady.

When the fit subsided, I quickly swerved to a deserted road and hit the brakes.

Heaving out of relief, I closed my eyes to catch my breath. Ciel asked, "What happened?"

I replied slowly, "Another attack. I have been having a lot of those lately, and I doubt they have anything to do with my anemia."

"Are you sure you are well enough for this?" Ciel asked carefully.

"With certainty," I assured.

"I think I'll do the driving for now, you just take a rest, alright?" Ciel offered.

I nodded and exchanged seats with her.

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><p>We arrived at the hotel we were designated to stay in for the night without further interruptions. As we stepped into the hotel lobby, I immediately felt a pair of eyes burying themselves in me. Surprised at the sudden surge of hostility, I whispered to Ciel, "Someone is observing us."<p>

Ciel replied, "Can you tell who?"

I took off my glasses in response. Lines and dots appeared on everything in sight, but they seemingly **_gathered_ **on one particular figure: a young boy with hair of deepest ebony. His eyes met mine, and he got up.

I unsheathed my knife and got ready for a skirmish.

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><p><em>End notes: That's it for Chapter 1! Was it too rushed? I was afraid that the story would be too draggy otherwise. Let me know, alright? :)<em>


	2. II: Unexpectations

_Disclaimer: I do not own Tsukihime or any of the characters._

_Author's note: Chapter 2! I know it is shorter than the previous one but there are some new developments! Hope that makes up for the lack of length xD_

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><p>The boy smirked as he took slow steps towards Ciel and I.<p>

I unsheathed my knife and got ready for a skirmish, but Ciel held up her hand and shook her head, saying, "He's an ally."

"He's a vampire!" I argued, refusing to let down my guard.

Ciel replied, "Yeah, I know. He's a vampire of the Church. Ironic, yes, but even Sir Zelretch has stood up for him, so I expect you to do the same. By the way, Zelretch is an Ancestor too, you know."

Mollified by this knowledge, I hesitantly sheathed my blade and hid it in my pocket. The boy uninterestedly walked up to Ciel and said, "Finally. I thought I'd wait forever, sempai. Keep your blade properly, you. Not that you'd be able to do anything to me anyway."

Ciel replied, "I thought I told you to stop calling me sempai, Merem. You make me feel so old, being an ancient yourself."

Merem stared me out and said, "So, this here's the famous Nanaya Shiki? With the Eyes and all?"

I extended a hand and said, "Nice to meet you. My name is **_Tohno_** Shiki."

He laughed and said, "Denying your family name, huh? What a pity, too, seeing as your real father Kiri was such a wonderful assassin."

I withdrew my offered handshake and said coldly, "Unfortunately, I am not a murderer."

His expression became serious. "Shiki, you must know this: your father was not a murderer. He was a savior to some of us. Acknowledge that fact, and never be ashamed of your lineage."

I felt a chill. I was seriously affected by this boy with a young visage but an aged heart.

Ciel interrupted, "Okay, enough of the friendly chat. I haven't even introduced you yet." She gestured to Merem and said, "Merem Solomon, fifth Executioner of the Burial Agency. So that makes him my colleague."

I nodded in recognition while Merem reverted back to his smiley self.

Ciel continued, "He will be assisting us in the search for Einnashe, so get along, you guys."

Meren smiled and said, "But of course, sempai."

Ciel said, "Then I assume you already know Tohno-kun?"

Meren nodded.

"Then you two can share a room!" Ciel finished happily.

"What?" I exclaimed.

Meren's smile melted into nothingness.

"Here's your room key card. See you guys later!"

She escaped.

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><p>In our room, we proceeded about unpacking without a single word to each other.<p>

"Nanaya-kun, why didn't you follow Ciel-sempai?" Merem asked suddenly.

I replied, "Don't call me that. And she was heading to her room, so why should I follow her?"

To my surprise, Merem laughed. His voice was clear, like an innocent child's. It sent shivers down my spine. "Couldn't you tell that she was going on surveillance? Honestly, and to think that you two have known each other for what, four years?"

Realization hit me. It's true that Ciel-sempai never did show her true feelings openly. I stood up from my assigned bed. "Well then, I'll be going. Are you coming?"

He replied while jumping onto his own bed, "Nah, I'm tired. See you guys tomorrow then, Nanaya-kun."

I ignored the last part and left the room.

Outside Ciel's room, I heard some rustling noises inside and so decided to wait outside instead. After awhile, the door opened and Ciel emerged in her Church uniform. She seemed surprised to see me. "Ah, Tohno-kun. What's the matter?"

I replied, "You're going on surveillance, right? I did come with you for this mission, after all. Let me go with you."

Ciel smiled. "You know, I was going to call you regardless of whether you came. But thanks for the thought, all the same. Now, shall we go?"

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><p>The night air blew relentlessly against my face. We stood atop a electrical wire pole, gazing at the streets below. This was apparently Ciel's favourite type of surveillance location, I realized. My glasses were in my hand, and I stared intently at the city.<p>

"Er, Ciel-sempai? Not to be rude or anything, but my Eyes do not have a zoom function, you know."

Ciel replied quietly, "What I need you to watch out for isn't very small either, remember?"

She had told me about it before. The distortion caused by Einnashe's hypnosis was apparently so powerful it would cause a disturbance of roughly a kilometer in radius. But staring intently in the air, I could not detect any sort of anomaly. The night air was normal, people were busying around, as per normal.

Ciel sighed and said, "Well, that's it for tonight, then."

I was taken aback. "Wh- That's it?"

Ciel replied, "Yes, unfortunately. It appears that Einnashe isn't even close to here. Either that or we have already fallen under his hypnosis."

That's impossible, I thought. If that was the case, I would be able to see lines on the sky. No illusion could escape the Eyes.

"Let's observe a little longer," I offered.

Ciel asked, "You have something up your sleeve, don't you?"

I nodded. I closed my eyes and relaxed as much as I could. The silence enveloped me beyond the darkness. I could hear Ciel-sempai's breathing. My heartbeat was gradually becoming audible. I let my primal instincts take over. I let **'Nanaya'** take over.

_Throb_.

My headache was starting to return, but my vision became clearer.

_Throb_.

A discrepancy. An anomaly. I've found you.

_Throb_.

I found this situation exceedingly hilarious. Despite myself, I smiled. Ciel slapped me in the back. "That's fine and all, but you shouldn't be giving in that easily," she frowned.

I snapped out of the trance and clutched my head in pain. I chuckled, "Yeah, I'm still learning how to tame the other side of me."

I stood up. "On the other hand, I got a lead. Let's go."

Ciel grabbed me in response like a human would a rag doll, and leapt off the pole.

We rushed towards the source. It appeared to be resonating within me. Or something within me, I realized. Turning the corner towards an alley _("Why is it always an alley..."),_ we spotted a seed hanging in the air.

There seemed to be no malevolence from the aura it exuded. I saw, to my surprise, that there was only a single line running from the top of the oval shaped seed to the bottom, dividing it perfectly in two. On one side, it was green, on the other, red. I felt a tinge of discomfort in my eyes.

"But how? The lines aren't supposed to mean anything to anyone without the Eyes."

I explained the situation to Ciel. She pondered for a moment. "We don't know for sure what will happen if we do anything to it, so let's just leave it alone and come back tomorrow night, alright? We can only hope that no one comes by."

I observed, "Rather, it seems that no one _can_ come by."

People walked past outside, but appeared as though they couldn't even see the alley.

Ciel concurred. We turned to leave, but I couldn't help but think that the seed was calling out to me, somehow.

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><p>A man in a black coat appeared from the darkness. He stared at me with depthless eyes and I felt myself being swallowed up.<p>

"Murderer. You are now a true murderer," he spoke.

I found myself standing in a busy street. I found myself drawing my knife. I found myself wearing a huge grin on my face.

The people turned to look at me as I cut someone down the midsection. Amidst the spraying blood, I danced a macabre waltz of death as I slashed wildly but with an odd perfection through the horde of people. Limbs torn, digits severed, beheaded, cut, disemboweled.

At the end of it all, I laughed. I laughed among what now was a horde of corpses.

"Murderer..." a whisper passed through my ears.

* * *

><p>I woke up with a start. I remember this dream vividly. It wasn't about the hospital any longer. The blood on my hands felt real. Too real, in fact, for a dream. I breathed deeply. I was getting sick of dreams.<p>

Wearing my glasses, I rubbed my eyes sleepily. Merem was nowhere to be found. I got up.

_Throb_.

What... is this?

Why can I see the lines?

I touched my face. The glasses were on. But so were the lines. What is going on?

I picked up a mug and tried poking the dot on it. It shattered into tiny fragments. The lines were real.

So my glasses did not work any longer? Did the magic run out or something?

I suppose I just had to live with it, although it supposedly shortens my lifespan or something.

The room door slammed open.

Merem stepped in and shouted, "Oi! How long are you going to laze around in bed? Get up, we have work to do."

I replied, "Yeah, sorry about that. I'll get ready in a minute."

In the lobby, Ciel and Merem were discussing about the findings we had last night. They were engaged in such a serious conversation that even when I went ahead and sat down beside them they did not falter from talking.

Merem was saying, "In that case, you should have called me and we could've done something last night. It is a great risk you are taking to allow something this strange to even exist. Doesn't that boy have the Eyes? He could erase its existence completely."

Ciel argued, "The main mission of the Church is to get rid of it _without harming any innocents_. What if it detonates or something? We have absolutely zero information about that thing. We cannot just attack it recklessly."

Merem sighed, "And leaving it there to grow is not a reckless move?"

I interrupted, "Grow? What do you mean by grow?"

He answered, "It's a seed. Seeds grow. Our target is a Forest. Do the rest yourself."

I said, "So the seed is the base of the hypnosis?"

"Or it could be the thing itself," Merem replied. "Which is the main cause of worry right now."

Ciel said, "We should go see if it has changed or anything."

With that, we proceeded to where we found the seed last night. As we entered the alley, we caught the unmistakeable stench of blood.

Alarmed, we hurried over and turned the corner...

To find a pile of corpses under the floating seed. I was stunned with horror. This man... this woman... I recognize them.

"I... I did this?" I muttered.

Ciel replied sharply, "Did what?"

I explained the dream to them.

Ciel said, "It was just a dream right? I thought you had experiences like this before."

I answered, "That was when Roa was possessing me. Who could be possessing me this time?"

Merem said, "Whoever it was, it wasn't you. I have a witness to prove that."

He raised his left arm and a old priest appeared in a flash of light. He spoke, "It is true. I had been observing the hotel room all night and you hadn't moved from your bed."

Ciel explained, "That is Merem's ability. He can solidify any imaginary object. This man here is, well, his left arm."

"That I am, Ciel-san."

Merem cut in, "Therefore, the most likely suspect is Einnashe. Take a look at the seed."

We directed our attention to it. It was hovering like always, but the red portion of the seed had increased significantly, and I saw that its line of death had shifted accordingly.

"I have this feeling that the Forest will be materialized as soon as it fully turns red, and judging by its condition now, it won't be too far away," Merem said seriously.

Ciel thought hard for a long while. "Tohno-kun. Try to destroy it."

I nodded and drew my knife. I traced the line with my knife, and the seed was cut where I sliced it. But as soon as the knife passed through, the cut section regenerated.

Ciel said, "Like I thought. This thing's time of death is ever-changing. That would explain its line's ability to shift."

She pulled out a Black Key from somewhere. Merem didn't seem to be surprised. Stabbing it, she began to chant. She stopped after awhile and said, "Nope, didn't work."

Merem said, "I doubt even my Left Leg could do any damage to it." He paced around. "Well that settles it. We only can destroy it after the Forest materializes."

I suggested, "Or we could find Einnashe first."

_Don't you get it, Tohno-kun? That **is** Einnashe._

I turned to the source of the voice. A ring of a cat's bell could be heard. Len stood right behind me.

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><p><em>End note: Well, that's it for Chapter 2! Hope it gave you guys some things to consider about. The glasses failing to work, Merem's abilities, the truth behind Einnashe and Len's part in all of this. Chapter 3 should come pretty soon.<em>


	3. III: Origin Unfold

_Author's note: Moar developments! As usual, I don't own anything from Tsukihime._

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><p><em>Len? You talked! Were you ever capable of speech? <em>I asked Len.

She tilted her head to one side and replied, _I was bound not to speak until the proper time has come, and now it has, Master. It is time to return you your memories of the dreams you had. I'd advise you to sit down._

I breathed deeply and told Ciel and Merem, "I'll pass out suddenly, but it's all fine. I'll recover soon enough."

Merem demanded puzzledly, "Explain yourself. I swear I'll leave you here if you don't-"

_Let us begin, Master._

Darkness wrapped itself in my sight, and everything went blank.

* * *

><p>"Master, where are we going?" I (or at least, the Len in which I was possessing) said.<p>

A red-haired woman wearing glasses and carrying a suitcase replied, "Ask the Princess over there. I'm just a sidekick." She took a quick puff on the cigarette she had between her lips.

I turned to see a beautiful woman sporting short blonde hair. _Arcueid..? It is her!_

I desperately tried to move or even speak to her, but the body did not belong to me. I suppressed the desperation within me and forced myself to watch on.

Arcueid said, "Our target today is a sorceror. Einnashe, I think. That famous one who went berserk after trying to hypnotize himself."

The woman replied, "And you think he's in this... jungle?"

Arcueid said, "Ye-" She paused and looked around ferally, as though having picked up a scent. "This way!" she said, and bounded off among the trees.

"Tch. What a pain to run in these heels." She opened the suitcase and a large wooden puppet of a wolf leapt out. She climbed on and pulled me up behind her. The wolf took off, chasing after Arcueid.

When we finally caught sight of her, it was with a hooded man. She was staring oddly at him, while he was saying something. She snarled in fury and lost control. Her eyes turned golden and a quick strike with her claw was all it took to rip the man apart.

"What, that's it?" Len's Master said uninterestedly. "I didn't even need to be here after all."

Arcueid took a single glance at the body and turned her back on it. I wondered, _what was it he said to get her so mad?_

The world darkened, and I realised that the memory was finished.

Len appeared and said, "That's the brief encounter I had with Einnashe. According to what I heard later, his blood was absorbed by the tree's roots and as a result, it gained supernatural powers akin to those of a vampire and eventually grew to its present size. That's how the Ancestor Einnashe came about."

I asked Len, "But why then keep this memory from me? Why didn't you say anything until now?"

Len replied, "It was the will of Master Arcueid. After she returned to the Millenium Castle, she told me to come to you and tell you about Einnashe when she requires you to fulfill your promise."

Those words rang a bell. "I remember now. I remember everything now." I tried to piece everything together. "I need to go to Arcueid. She told me she is in danger."

Len replied, "But do you know where the Millenium Castle is?"

_That's right, I don't_. Len expected my reaction and continued, "However, Einnashe does. Which is why Arcueid sent me to you."

"So I have to force it out of him? That's fine. But tell me, is she okay?" I asked, concerned.

"I do not know. I have not seen her since I was sent to you. Now wake up, and get ready. Night is about to fall." The last thing I heard was a the sound of a bell.

* * *

><p>I got up. Ciel was lying on the other bed, waiting patiently. Upon getting up, she said, "Ah, Tohno-kun."<p>

Merem who was sitting at a desk at the side of the hotel room, commented irritably, "So, had a nice nap?"

I replied, "Yeah, it gave me some answers."

Merem asked despite himself, "Like what?"

I explained everything.

I then turned to face Ciel, "I know where Arcueid is."

Merem interrupted, "So do I, but what does that have to do with our current objective?"

"Wait," I said. "You do?"

Merem looked confusedly at Ciel and said, "She resides in the Millenium Castle. All descendants of the Crimson Moon lives there. I thought that was common knowledge."

I asked hurriedly, "What else do you know about her?"

He answered slowly, "Well, there was this group of Ancestors who were plotting to raid the Castle and kill her, but..."

Ciel responded, "Tohno-kun, no one but Arcueid should know the location of the Millenium Castle, so that is just a rumor. You shouldn't get so worked up."

I saw red. "Well, guess what? Einnashe does, and he's an Ancestor! So what does this mean?"

Merem was visibly shocked. It took a mere second for him to regain his calm and he said, "It means we act, tonight. I will not allow anything to befall my benefactor."

* * *

><p>We returned to the alley. The seed was almost fully red now. While we waited for the materialization, Ciel asked me, "Tohno-kun, I noticed something. Earlier in the day, when you cut the seed, did you just use the line in which the colors coincided or did you use your Eyes?"<p>

I kept silent for awhile, then with my glasses on, I picked up a brick and stabbed a dot with my finger. It crumbled.

Ciel said, "I was afraid of this. Your Eyes have almost matured. They are too powerful for your glasses to contain now. In fact, no other medium can contain it besides one: holy burial cloth. But it is opaque, so..."

"So I'll be blind either way? I suppose I might as well let nature take its course," I said, smiling.

Ciel replied, "I understand." She said nothing else.

"Don't let your guard down," Merem warned. "It has begun."

With that, the seed glowed a powerful crimson, and it intensified to the point that I was forced to keep my eyes closed.

The light vanished almost instantaenously. I looked around after my eyes adapted to the change in brightness. Ciel gasped, "This is it... The Forest of Einnashe."

Countless trees surrounded us. We seemed to be deep in the heart of the woods. "Escape seems impossible, then," I suggested.

"That's right. This Forest spreads to twenty-five kilometers in radius," Ciel informed.

"They're coming," Merem said. A countless number of vines shot out towards the three of us. I cut those aiming for me down and tried to help Merem as much as possible.

Merem laughed and said, "I don't need help, Nanaya-kun. Help Sempai instead, it seems she's having trouble." Merem said that while deflecting the vines swiftly with his cloak.

Ciel fought hard with her Black Keys, but she weren't able to manipulate them with her usual ease. "Why won't they respond? I can't use them for anything except for physical attacks."

Merem shouted while defending himself, "They absorb energy from their surroundings! That includes the energy in your bodies! Your high magic capacity will be disadvantageous in this situation!"

Ciel grunted with exertion as she cut down vines with her now heavy swords. I beckoned to Ciel and said, "Stay behind me. I'll my best to protect you."

Merem called, "Rather, we won't last long like this. Ciel, we need you to trace the source of this Forest. Nanaya-kun should have no trouble destroying it, since his eyes don't require many Magic Circuits."

Ciel nodded quickly. Darting off at a surprising speed, she trailed the scent of Magic, pausing every now and then to confirm her bearings. The Forest's attempts to take our lives grew far more violent as we progressed, and we knew we were getting close.

"Oi, oi, this actually stings quite a bit," Merem commented after a renegade vine whipped his right leg. "Now he's angry."

He snapped his fingers, and a giant whale with legs spanning around twenty metres materialized. Merem asked, "How's that? Impressive, eh?"

I asked breathlessly, "How did you do that in this Magic suppressed condition?"

Merem pondered while ordering the whale to trample a path through the Forest, "Well, since the Forest sucks Magic at a constant rate, obviously I just have to produce Magic faster than that, right?"

He said it as though it meant nothing to him. This Merem was more powerful than I thought.

Ciel suddenly exclaimed, "Got it!" She ducked her way underneath the giant whale and dived into a clearing.

As we followed in, Merem observed his whale being engulfed in millions of vines. He smirked and said, "Well, guess he wasn't powerful enough." He dematerialized the whale.

I wiped my forehead which was drenched in sweat. "It seems they can't follow us in here."

I noticed that Ciel had been staring at something for some time. There was a red fruit hanging in the air in the center of the clearing, and an old man was standing underneath.

I recognized the old man. "Einnashe?" I called.

The old man did not respond. I reached out to nudge him, amidst disapproval from Ciel. As soon as I made contact, a voice boomed into my mind.

"I see you have come, Nanaya Shiki. I am Einnashe, former Guardian of the Crimson Moon."

"Guardian? What's that? And how do you know my name?"

"I have some explaining to do indeed. You see, Arcuied Brunestud's ancestor is called the Crimson Moon. I am his protector. After he perished, my charge automatically changed to the new owner of the Millenium Castle."

"Arcueid."

"Yes, that is correct."

"So why did she kill you?"

"Ah, so you know about that. Impressive, indeed. She killed me so that I would spawn the Fruit of Eternity for the next Guardian."

"And how does that make sense?"

"I was an ordinary man, ignoring the fact that I had incredible hypnosis powers, of course." He chuckled. "I wanted to become more. I wanted to be able to do more, so I asked an Ancestor to bite me. He did, and well, that's why a lot of people suddenly thought I became berserk. I became a dangerous man. Arcueid had to hunt me down since that was her duty after all, but she killed me in the forest on purpose such that I could live on as an Ancestor. I didn't like it one bit. All the killings just weren't my style. So I infiltrated your dreams. You know that man in the black cloak? That's me."

My eyebrows twitched in annoyance. He seemed like he didn't really care about having killed so many people. _Do you? _A voice in my mind jeered. My head pounded suddenly. Why is he trying to get out now?

"Well, so here we are. You have to kill me and eat the fruit that will grant you immortality. Then you have to become the next eternal Guardian for Arcueid Brunestud.

Now go back, and defeat me. I'm afraid my sanity isn't what it used-"

He fell silent. I was suddenly shoved back to the physical world mentally.

I looked around. It seemed as though no time had passed at all since the conversation. Remembering Einnashe's last words, I warned the others while drawing my knife, "Get ready. Einnashe is about to go wild."

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><p><em>End notes: Finally, some action is going to come! My first time writing action, hope it won't turn out bad. Also, the true birth of Satsujinki comes next chapter as well! R&amp;R please, the lack of reviews is really demoralizing. :(<em>


	4. IV: Satsujinki

_Author's note: I do not own anything from Tsukihime._

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><p>The air tensed considerably. The man in front of us crumpled onto the ground in a heap, and melded with the ground.<p>

Ciel noted, "The Magic in the area is condensing around him. If I'm not wrong, this density of Magic could very easily cripple us all, even you, Merem."

Merem conceded, "So she says."

I took a step forward. I said, "I don't want to sound like a hero or something, but I think my Eyes should be able to handle this."

The others agreed and retreated into the safety of a distance. I focused my sight on the foreground, trying to visualize the life of the whirlpool of Magic.

_You need my help, Shiki. _A malicious voice spoke up inside me. _You can't do this alone._

"I'll prove you wrong!" I muttered as I rushed forward and readied my knife. A dozen roots flew out of the ground and hurtled towards me, and I swung with as much speed as I could muster. But to all the ability I could possess, I only managed to cut down five. I was forced to roll to the side to evade the rest. A couple more made sure I retreated far enough to be unable to inflict significant damage.

I'm not making progress, I thought. Must I really rely on him again?

My grip on my blade tightened. I am so incredibly helpless it's not even funny. But I have to do it, or they will be in danger...

Night seemed to fall. I gazed at my target with emotionless eyes. I smirked. Roots swept down on me like a curtain signifying the end of a play. How unapt... _For the show has just begun_. I lifted my head, revealing a wide grin and dashed off, slicing all the plant appendages with unnatural ease. Flicking the knife as though it was an extension of my arm, the movements that I made when I danced through the onslaught of vines could only be described as... art in its purest form.

Enshrouded by the moonlight, the whispering of the wind muttered its disapproval at me moving faster than it could. I closed the distance between me and the fruit, preparing to stab it when an effigy burst out of the ground. I backflipped in primevalistic instinct and waited for any sign of movement from it. At a second glance, it appeared that the effigy was a normal human being, disgorged after being consumed in the materialization of the Forest. I gave in to the urges to kill, sidestepped an attack from the effigy with blinding speed and hacked off its head with a horizontal crescent swing of my arm. It was a normal human being, after all, judging from the spray of blood that stemmed from the neck.

"Shiki!" Ciel screamed. "Do not give in!"

_What? Who's that... calling my name?_

"Be quiet," I warned softly. "I do not discriminate against targets."

I stared at Ciel's eyes directly, and she flinched in fear. In this Magic-suppressed situation, she was definitely no match for me.

Before I could make another move, a horde of effigies rose from the ground. Ciel pleaded weakly, "Don't do it."

I couldn't stop now. The thrill of killing has consumed my senses completely. Even as the effigies rose, several fell, limbs detached from their bodies. I did not bother to stab their points, but decided on tracing the lines instead, since they wouldn't die from just that. I was already soaked in blood, but even that wasn't enough.

I finished the last one off with grace. Einnashe then appeared and spoke madly, "Shiki, Shiki, I suppose you aren't really suited to be Arcueid's Guardian after all. You are just a cold-blooded satsujin (murderer), a killer, a doll."

He gestured towards Ciel and Merem. Ciel had lost consciousness due to a lack of Magic and Merem was struggling to stay awake.

"Look at your comrades, they are barely alive and yet you don't give a damn. Well, two can play at that game, Satsujin-ki. I'll kill you all, kill you all, and then my beloved Arcueid and..."

_THROB._

I fell to my knees, gasping for air. "Satsujin-ki... eh? Not a bad name... not bad at all."

"Oh, if it isn't weak, little _Tohno _Shiki. You subdued your Nanaya self, eh? Then how do you expect to beat me?" Einnashe broke out in a fit of madcap laughter.

He materialized a giant scythe of roots and lumbered towards me. "I'll finish you off now... I have bigger fish to fry, bigger cities to devour!"

He swung at me, but I counterswung and lopped off his arm. He looked genuinely surprised and his euphoria was gone. "Nanaya? But you are TOHNO!" Einnashe screamed in a twisted, rage consumed voice.

"So this is your 'rampaging' self? Finally serious, are you?" I quipped. Very out-of-character for Tohno Shiki, but for Satsujin-ki, that's another story.

**_For I am no longer Tohno or Nanaya. _**

As Einnashe charged towards me, I bent down in a position like a runner does at the start of a race. I muttered, _"Kyokushi..."_

In Einnashe's eyes, I probably just disappeared. But as soon as he realised that there was a knife driven into his heart, I had already stabbed his points of death multiple times.

He gazed at the knife with a profound look in his eyes. "Why... have I regained my sanity?"

I answered, "I killed the vampire blood within you. Of course without any blood, you would die, but I thought you would appreciate it knowing that you died a sane man."

"I do, Shiki." He smiled, extremely pleased. As he began to crumble into dirt, he revealed a final piece of information, "Arcueid isn't safe. Many other Ancestors now know where the Millenium castle is. Come to me, and I'll tell you as well..."

I hurried towards Einnashe, and he whispered in my ear. He then pressed the fruit in my hand and vanished, taking the Forest with him.

I walked over to Merem, who had gotten to his feet grumpily. "Okay, you have a lot of explaining to do. But first, let's take Ciel-sempai back to the hotel room."

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><p>"Here," I offered Ciel a glass of water.<p>

"Thank you." Ciel accepted it gratefully.

Merem gazed longingly at the fruit on the table the whole time. "Immortality... This kind of rare relic should belong to the Church. Or better, with me."

I said, rolling my eyes, "I need it to protect your benefactor."

Merem scowled and replied, "I could be the next Guardian. Then I'll get the fruit as an added bonus." As an afterthought, he said, "Well, whatever. Just eat it already."

Ciel said to me, "So, you finally managed to keep your Nanaya instincts under control, eh? That's good. Now I no longer have any excuse to visit you." She said that with a hint of sadness in her voice.

I smiled, "Well, you're welcome to visit me anytime. But I probably won't be at the mansion most of the time, anyway."

"Yeah, what with all the sudden happenings, I feel like a lot has changed in these few days."

"I will always be me, Ciel-sempai. Nothing can change that." I smiled. "I wouldn't mind that burial cloth now."

Ciel took out some white bandages from a drawer in response, smiling weakly. I wrapped the cloth around my eyes, and was surprised to see that it was thin enough to be able to make things out faintly, yet there were no lines at all. I thanked Ciel.

Ciel looked away. "Go ahead, then. Arcueid needs you. I'll see you soon." She laughed softly. "Actually, I don't even know when I'll be able to see you again."

Merem gave an excuse and left the room. Ciel paused, and grabbed my arm, pulling me close to her.

"I'll miss you," she whispered, and pulled me into an embrace. I patted her lightly, indicating my wish for it to stop there. "I'm sorry," I muttered. Tears glistened in Ciel's eyes. I pushed us apart lightly. Clenching my fists, I turned and left the room, leaving a trembling Ciel behind.

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><p><em>The crimson moon hung overhead, as though welcoming my arrival.<em>

_Giant double doors stood at the entrance; I pushed them open and entered without regard._

_There she lay: the beautiful Princess of the Crimson Moon, wrapped in the chains that bound her._

_Cutting through the chains like knife through butter, I released her from the prison in which spelled her eternal sleep._

_I walked over to her, knelt on one knee and whispered, "I am here."_

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><p><em>Author's note: That's all! Hope you enjoyed this fic. Any comments or irregularities with the Nasuverse, simply PM me and I'll see what I can change. Thank you for reading!<em>


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